Wi-Fi is a technology which enables devices (e.g. wireless devices) to exchange data or to connect to e.g. the Internet wirelessly using radio waves. Wi-Fi is considered to be a key candidate for small cell solutions for mobile broadband heterogeneous networks. Wi-Fi is mainly specified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in the 802.11 family of specifications and updated by for example the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA). There are currently intense activities in all corners of the world on how to integrate Wi-Fi with Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) networks and how to offer a “carrier Wi-Fi” solution where, in a similar fashion as any 3GPP radio access technology, Wi-Fi is integrated with the 3GPP Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and where access selection and traffic steering between 3GPP Radio Access Technologies (RATs) and Wi-Fi may be controlled through the network. Standardization and certification organizations like 3GPP, WFA, Global System for Mobile communications Association (GSMA) and Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) are producing material on carrier-integrated Wi-Fi and network equipment manufacturers are making products where Wi-Fi is integrated on different levels.
Current solutions for network integrated Wi-Fi offer a way to seamlessly access Wi-Fi and EPC, and to authenticate Wi-Fi use through SIM based authentication methods (e.g. Extensible Authentication Protocol-Subscriber Identity Module (EAP-SIM), Extensible Authentication Protocol-Authentication and Key Agreement (EAP-AKA) or EAP-AKA′) towards the same network entities as are used for 3GPP. EAP is an authentication framework which supports multiple authentication methods. EAP is also applicable in scenarios where IP layer connectivity is not available. EAP-AKA′ is a variant of EAP-AKA.
When it comes to network integrated Wi-Fi, there is a large interest to support Wi-Fi capable devices without Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards, i.e. tablet or laptop, and to manage the non-SIM devices in a similar way with existing capability as today for SIM based authentication and authorization.